Update- March 9 2022 Things have changed a lot in my life the past 5 years. I’ve let swapbot go dormant for me, just haven’t had the time or mindset to engage.

I’m thinking I might have time again now to take on an occasional swap, but it’s still going to be very low key.

What’s new? Since my last update I worked at WM for 3 years, had a Baby and left on Maternity leave and haven’t been back for another 2 years. We bought our own very small home (by the skin of our teeth), I’m working my butt off with my Etsy shop as my only income (husband still working), and raising our daughter at home through 2 years of covid. That’s been fantastic, and draining. It was SUCH a big change from the way I lived my life before, it took me probably a whole year to adjust my frame of mind to being a work-at-home mom who only has snippets of time for her own thoughts/ ideas/ interests. That’s been hard, but so worth it. She is 2.5yrs now and is the center of my world. We still have one wonderful tuxedo cat, a solitary middle aged man who tolerates the toddler.

Current likes:

art, uplifting quotes, beautiful nature, animals.

Please don’t send: religion, politics, war, hate.

Update, March 21 2017- Spring is finally coming. A such, this will be my first spring in full operation with my business, and I have no real idea what to expect. I will also be working part time at THE retail store (where you buy everything. You know the place), so I might be crazy busy. I'm also going to be moving sometime soon, and helping my parents sell their home, etc. SO-- I'm going to be honest right off the bat, I might be a bit late sending a swap or two, but I will message you if that happens! I might also be a bit late rating a swap or two, but they WILL get rated because they remain "out" and un-put-away until I am sure theyve been rated. Not the tidiest system, but it's a work in progress at the moment.

I am LOVING the jokers and ace of spades that so many of you have sent me!! Thank you SO SO much. my collection is getting FAT :D

I am a passionate creator, recycler, artist and lover of all things old, kitchy and vintage. I am always trying to think of ways to use bits of this or that in a project. My go-to plan is usually going out of the box or make-it-myself, so sometimes I do end up reinventing the wheel when it could be done easier, but where is the fun in that?

I'm 30 ish, starting up a new business with my husband in salvage and resale, since we both have a love for it. We've just moved back to my tiny rural Canadian home town after years in the big city and it has been a good change and a hard change at the same time!

I am a cyclical creator, working in multi-year loops. I have been known to obsess about one medium (watercolors for example) for a few months, then get deep into something like paper mache dolls and move away from the watercolors. I can put a medium away but I can't get rid of it, because in about 1-2 years I'll be obsessing about it all over again!

At one time or another I have fallen in love with: pen and ink drawing - graphite drawing - acrylic painting - collage - gouache painting - paper mache - watercolors - handmade postcards - handmade envelopes - rag rugs - beading - tiny sculpture - embroidery - lino cut print making - glass painting

I'm sure I have forgotten a few. Some do fade away entirely, but some are like boomerangs that come back over and over!

I have a fine art degree from Canada's best art school (yes, I am biased). It's at least top 5, every time, even with the weird cow-on-pickup-sticks building. The four most awesome years of my life so far, but who knows what each year will bring?

My husband and I have traveled a little, not as much as we would like due to time and $$. We spent 2 months in South America where his family is from last year, traveling around on an extreme budget, which is still possible to do in a few countries there. Anyone heard of Sofa-Cama busses? Amazingly comfortable travel!

I don't have any kids yet. I love the idea of raising my own children someday soon, but I'm really not a fan of other people's kids (excluding my sister's kids, they're cool :D).

I've always been a dog person, I love love love dogs of all types, the bigger and dumber the better. However, we just adopted a little kitten after a pregnant stray adopted my Mom (also a long time dog person), so we as a family are learning all abut cats. Cats are weird, and sweet and funny, and sharp clawed.

Update on cats - wow, I kinda dig this cat-person thing. They are amazingly sweet, they turn those big eyes on you and just know how to make you do what hey want. awesome mind control skills.

I'd like to join some swaps because I work really well with a project in front of me, instead of just searching for a bolt of inspiration. I'm also really excited about the idea of receiving mail, especially art-y mail. I want to make you things and I want things that are either old or handmade in the mail :D

stuff I like, other than art -

LIKES

-animals. All sorts from exotic to domestic, farm animals to wacky jungle creatures. I collect schleich figurines, I love the special detail they all have.

-beautiful girl postcards. Who doesn't love a painting/drawing/photo of a pretty girl?

-art postcards - art nouveau, art deco, impressionist, paintings, etchings, anything colorful or playful or vibrant or soulful or just pretty.

-maps. as postcard or as an extra, roadmaps or old atlas pages, I love them for crafting.

-Stephen King. I love reading the LONG books, the best to really dig into, spook myself before bed. Send me a PC with anything spooky or creepy and I will LOVE it.

-comfort food. Simple recipes, nothing that has too many steps. I'm not afraid of odd ingredients or trying new things.

-floral anythings. Floral wall paper or fabric prints on a PC are awesome! Floral paintings art PCs are cool too!

-vintage wrapping paper, or new too, if it has a cool pattern (pref not xmas) even used pieces, if they have enough good space left for collage. floral, geometric, or textile themes are faves.

-mandala patterns

-YOUR doodles, collages, little paintings, drawings, block prints. Send me a chunk of cardboard with YOUR drawings/painting/collage on it and I will LOVE it.

-tiny handmade dolls (most of my little collection are about 8")

Update on dolls - I am joining my fist Doll swap, so here are a few ideas for my doll partner, if she cares to check my profile (if not, I'm sure I will love my new doll anyway!) I like LITTLE dolls, like smaller than a barbie if possible. I have a little collection of 6 handmade art dolls all around 6-11 inches tall and I'd like to be able to add tot hat collection. However, If you "thing" is only big dolls, I get that too. I'm gonna love any kind of technique -paper mache, sewn, carved, sculpted, assemblage, painted, whatever, don't be afraid to experiment with a new technique for my doll, she doesn't have to be perfect. I am not a high-class doll maker and I like outsider art, so if she's a little wacky thats awesome too. That being said, these designer bjd dolls are incredible and beautiful, so if you've got piles of them needing new homes (ya right? lol) send em my way! But really, I love art, I dig handmade dolls, handmade and vintage anything, so have fun!

-beautiful paper, fabric, embroidery, lace, cross stitch, hoop art,

-old photographs, vintage postcards!! Those linen textured, "hand coloured" b&w style ones are the best!

-color, pattern

-Rural life / men / work

-creative homes / tree houses / out of the box spaces

-plants, succulents, green things.

-country music, classic rock, rockabilly, indie folk

-hipsters. I love looking at their clothing. generally just any people who look cool / fun/ creative/ musical / open minded / whatever...

-funky, colorful clothing, weird outfits

-gardening, especially vegetable garden

-foreign cities, hillside towns, colorful houses

-places you've been. Tell me why you loved it there.

-traveling on a budget

-camping, swimming

-vintage toys

-vintage sewing

-vintage advertising

-vintage clothing, fashion illustratons or old catalogue images

-Educational illustrations

-interesting playing cards, older the better

-vector art

WANTS AND WISHES - stuff I collect or can use in my projects.

-I Collect playing cards, especially the Ace of spadesand jokers. especially with cool vintage backs. I have a binder of all my different aces of spades and jokers. The most nerdy hobby I've ever gotten into, but I am finding it SUPER satisfying to go through the pages. (Don't worry, I am using the rest of the decks for crafting, or listing the ones with cool backs in craft packs in my etsy shop for others to craft with!)

-old, vintage lace

-bird stickers or die cuts

-old or vintage paper ephemera

-hand drawn / hand made / collaged anythings

-small handmade dolls

-anything! I am not terribly picky and just love receiving things in the mail! The above are just soft spots in my heart.

DISLIKES (for the purpose of swap-bot, I guess things I would not LOVE to receive as a post card?)

-cars, boats, air planes, motorcycles

-extreme feminism

-hate of any kind

-heavy metal

-emo, parent hating

-video games

-sports

-politics

I'm not sure what else to say about myself. I'll add as I go I guess!